


Coat Rack

by angellwings



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Light Angst, Sacrifice, season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-19 06:38:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2378522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angellwings/pseuds/angellwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do you talk to someone about something they don't want to talk about? How did she talk about something she didn't really want to talk about?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coat Rack

**Author's Note:**

> Set in early season 6 sometime after "Third Day Story"

" _Because he doesn't want me holding his coat for the rest of my life."_

Charlie's words about The President haunted her. She stared at the box and the pen Josh had given her. His line about not taking her for granted had been sweet, but he hadn't mentioned anything about helping her advance her career. Or even _wanting_ her to. In fact, he would change the subject when she even started to bring it up.

How do you talk to someone about something they don't want to talk about? How did she talk about something _she_ didn't really want to talk about? Maybe that's why she hadn't done anything before now. It would mean leaving Josh. Josh who tried his hardest not to leave anyone behind. Josh who had dropped everything including the United States of America to fly to Germany and be there for her. Josh who had taken her in and given her a job even though he knew _nothing_ about her.

 _How_ did she leave him?

She was starting to realize the reality of her situation and the reality of it _sucked_.

It was either stay with Josh and be a coat rack or leave him and have her own career. Could she sacrifice her professional growth for him?

She bit back a bitter chuckle. Sacrifice seemed to be the theme of her life. She'd given up college, nearly given up her professional integrity, and perjured herself. All for men she liked or thought she liked. It could also be argued she'd _already_ given up her career for Josh. She'd declined two job offers for him. One she'd told him about and the other she'd kept to herself. Where would be right now if she'd taken one of those offers?

Would Josh still be in her life if she didn't work for him?

Would he still be in her life if she stopped working for him _now_?

CJ's words from before she left for Gaza suddenly came back to her and she knew what she had to do. She needed to talk to Josh soon. As much as she cared about him she couldn't be his coat rack forever. She was done sacrificing what she wanted for someone else.


End file.
